Lali Lomidze

Lali Lomidze, 36 years old, fom Khashuri.

"My son, Giorgi Kharaishvili, is a delightful, mischievous, smart, and funny 7-year-old boy. He’s diagnosed with Down Syndrome. For me, it’s a privilege to talk about Down Syndrome and to help raise public awareness, because, before Giorgi, I had no information about it at all. I had no idea what opportunities or challenges he would have.

After a day of crying about his diagnosis and after gathering information and meeting other parents, I realized that I didn’t have time for crying and I had to do something. So we joined the Early Intervention Program. Because we don’t have this program in Khashuri, we traveled to Tbilisi every day for 6 years. Being involved in this program has taught me a lot about child development. It has strengthened me and raised my awareness.

Giorgi is already in the first grade. Online lessons have been very difficult for us, but with my involvement and the help of teachers, Giorgi is learning to write, read and count. Even though he was the first child with Down Syndrome at school and everyone was afraid of what his involvement would bring, I think we have successfully done and are continuing to do work. We also joined thelocal day care center program in Khashuri, which was a great solution for us during the pandemic.

I would definitely like to point out that I have never felt a negative attitude from this community. Where we live, there isn’t another child with similar needs, but just as I accepted Giorgi’s diagnosis and his condition, so did all my neighbors. I believe your own acceptance helps influence the community’s acceptance.

I always tell parents, please ask questions. Don’t hesitate to talk about your child’s diagnosis, needs, and challenges as much as possible."